Flange frog



May 27,A 1924.

R. E. EINSTEIN FLANGE FROG.

Filed Feb. 5. 1923 EM w E, M WM W H E y Patented May 27, i924.. I

narran stares ROBERT E. EINSTEIN, or'sr. LoUIs, MIssolUnI, AssIGNon lTo;nIvIniaIoAN' FLANGE rnoe ANDVRAILWAY Itrrnovni/LENTCOMPANY, or sT. Louis, ivIIssoUn'L-jn con` ronAT-ION or FLORIDA.v

FLANGE FROG'.

Application led- February 5, 1923. Serial No. 616,991.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT E. EINSTEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri have invented acertain new and useful aImprovement in Flange Frogs, of lwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the artv toywhich it appertains'to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railway frogs of the type that are known commerciallyl as lange frogs, and particularly to-flange frogs of the kind that are composed of a center castmember provided with any integral, frog point, and guard members arranged at opposite sides of said center member and Veach provided with a portion .that extends. above the top face of the adjacent running surface of the frog, so as to cause the ange of a passing wheel to be vguided properly past the point of the frog by means of a tread rim Contact in a horizontal plane above the running surfaces of the frog.

In my prior U. S. PatentrNo. 1,339,597,

dated May l1, 1920, I have illustrated a` three-piece flange frog of the general,l type above referred to, in which the center member is provided with a frog point andalso with integral portions that constituterunning surfaces on which the treads ofthe passing wheels travel, said wheel tread por" tions being separated from each other at the toe of the frog by a groove or wheel flangeway in the center member which branches into two wheel flangeways that extend along the sides yof thel point of the frog. The center member `is provided with integral, laterally-projecting tie engaging portions that support the guard Inembers,and the guard members are constructed in such a way that they can be reversed se to con,- pensate for wear on the wheel rim engaging portions of said guard members". While a frog of the construction above described can be adjusted to compensate for wear 'on the portions of the frog that are used yto guide a wheel past the point of the frog,".no adjustment is provided to compensate for wear on the portions of the frog vagainst which the flangesof the wheels bear. Consequently, ifA the inner edges-l or side'faces of the wheel tread portions Vof the center member become excessively worn, -it-is neces- Saryto remove said center member and re` place it by a new or perfect center member, because excessive wear ontheseportionsfof the center member destroyv the gauge ofthe track.

The main VI.object vof myI I'Jresent.inven-j tion is toprovide a three-piece frog which is so` constructed that .itl can. be adjusted easily to compensate for wear on` the Linner edges or side faceof the wheeltread por.- Y.

for a long period at4 appoint in the track 1.,

wheremthe trafiic on one side of the frog yis excessive. j j d Y.

Another object is to provide a three-piece frog in which the guardmembersare comjusted to compensate for` wear without the necessity of completelyAv disconnecting said guard members from the' center member and reversing said guard members.

y Another object is to provide a cast metal 'frog that 'has sufcientuinherent resiliency to partially absorb the shock` to which the frog is subjected when a wheel passes ovei` the frog. Y Y. l

And still another object is toprovidean exceptionally strong'and rigid frog of the character above described thatl is inexpensive to manufactureeasy to adjust and easy to assemble or disassembled,

To this end I have devised aY flange frog that is composed of acenter member provided von its top side with an upwardly-pro,- jecting portion that constitutesthe point of the frog, .and guard members arranged at opposite sides of said center Vrnemberand provided with wheelv tread4 portions that constitute the 'running vsurfaces ofthe frog and wheel rim engaging portionsV that 'are adapted to be engaged by theouter edge yof `bined with the center member in such a, manner that the guard members can beadthe rim of a passing Vwheel in such a way that the flange of thewheel will be guided properly past the pointof the frog. Pref- Y, erably the guard members are combined with the center member insuch a, manner that they can be adjusted laterally towards and Vaway from said center member to compensate for wear on the wheel rim engaging portions of said guard members and4 also te compensate' for wear on the portions 60 @portions 2 and also on Vthe wheel rim' enof said guard members `against .which the flanges ofthe wheels bear. ln the form or my invention herein illustrated the guardv members arefso designed that they lap over -the center'niember and said' guard members are provided with'tie engaging portions that are adapted to be secured to the ties. I 'wish it to be understood, however, that my broad idea is not 'limited to a `frog of the particular Vconstruction herein illustrated, as the particular shape or the vari Y`ous members of 4the frog isimmaterial and and B designates the guard members thatl are'arranged at opposite sides or said center member, said members preferably consisting of castings constructed .or Vmanganese steel or some suitable steel-alloy. The center member`A is provided on its-top' side with an Vupwardly-projectiiig, tapered por- Ytion l that constitutesjthe point of the i'rog and the. guard members B are so designed that they lap over said center member, as shown in Figures. 2, 3 and 4i. `Each oit-said guard members is provided with al wheel treadV portion 2 and with' a vwheel Arim engaging-portion 3 arranged in a higher hori zontal plane-than the top 'tace o'l said wheel tread portion. The top faces otl the wheel tread portions 2 of the guardnieinbers con Y' Y stitute the ruiming surfaces of thei'rog, and

Y sides ofthe frog point l, as

the inner sides or edges 25ct said portions 2 are spacedapart, so Vaste form a wheel flangeway 9 at the-toe ofthe frog, as shown in "Figure 2, which branches laterally into two wheel flangeways that extend along the shown inFiguiesV 3 and 4. Y

i VVheii'a wheel passes over the frog the tread of the wheel will travel on the `top tace of the wheel tread portion 2 of one ot the guard members B and the outer edge i of' the rim 01"' the wheel willV bear against the wheel rim engaging portion 3V oi said member in such a waythat the 'flange ofthe Wheel will be guided. properly past the end ofthe frog point l. in order that theY frog may be adjusted easily to compensate for wear on the inner ec ges or' the wheel tread gaging portions 3, the guard members B are combined with the center'member A in such Y away that said guard members can be ad-V justed laterally towards and away from said center member, thereby making it possibleto maintainvthe proper gaugeand also maintain the proper relation between the frog point and the wheel rim e-ngagingportionsof the vfrog, even when 'the traic vonV one side of the lirog is excessive.` ln the form or' my invention herein illustrated the,

lateral adjustment oit the guard members is effected lby inserting or removing shiins, washers or other `variable spacing devices 4 between the side faces oi the ceiitei' member A and the portions of the guard members B that are disposed oppositely the side faces of said center` member. VWhenthe wheel rim engaging portion 3 and the wheel tread portion 2 oit one otV the guard mem-V beis B becomes worn to'such an. extent that Y the track is outrot gauge or the ilange of a passing wheel isha-ble not'to be guided properly past the point of the frog,lthe spacing devices d between said guard member and the center member A of the frog can be adjusted in such a way as to Vbring said guard member closer to the center member, thereby compensating tor wear onboth ot said portions 2' and 3 by a simple adjustment or' only one of the members ofthe In addition to the desirable'lfeatureVV frog. above pointed out, a `frog equipped with spacing devices arranged between the cenY ter member and the guard membe'rs'is inexpensive to manuiactuie, because it is not necessary to accurately machine the sideA faces of the. center member and the adja-V centsidc faces of the guard members, due,

of coiirse, to the fact -that the spacingde-V vices 4t preventsaid faces from touching or bearing upon each other. Any suitable means can be used foirconnectiiigrthe center member A with the guard members B,

Abut prefer tofclan'ip the said members togetlier by horizontally-disposed bolts 5- that pass transversely through vsaid parts Yand provide the guard members with laterallyprojecting tie engaging portions ftliat areV connected to the track ties by spikes or other suitable 'fastening devices. If desired, the. guard members can be provided-with braces 7 so as to Yreinforceand strengthen the tie engaging portions G of said members. The center member is provided at its outer end iio with a reduced portion-8 to which the trackl Y rails are adapted to be coniiectech'as shown Y Y inV broken lines in FigureV 7,and each of the guard members is so constructed at its outerend that a trac r rail caiifbe connected to same, as shown in Figure 6. Vhile the principal object of iormiiig'the running surfaces or wheel tread portions Yof the frog integral with the guard meinbersB and comvV i bini'ng said guard iiiemberswith lthe center 'Y member in such a way that they can be,

adjusted laterally, is to enable lthe frog .to be adjusted to compensate for wear, vanother advantage that results froinsuch a construcf resaca;

tion is thatthe frog has a certain amount of inherent resiliency that partially absorbs the shock to which the frog is subjected whena wheel passes over the same. This is not true of a frog cast in onezpiece or a frog provided with a center member` equipped with integral running surfaces and a frog point, for in such structures it is impossible for the frog point and running surfaces to give or move slightly relatively to each other, as in the case of a frog of the articulated type. My improved frog embodies the desirable characteristics of an articulated frog, and it also embodies the desirable features of a cast frog without having the rigidity of a cast frog. Moreover, it is inexpensive to manufacture, it is easy to repair, and as it can be adjusted to compensate for wear on the wheel rim engaging portions and also on the portions that determine the gauge of the track, it

can be used for a long period at a point in the track Where the traffic on one side of the frog is excessive. Y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A flange frog, comprising a center cast member provided on its top side with an integral portion that constitutes a frog point, and cast guard members adjustably connected to said center member, each of said guard members having a wheel vtread portion whose inner edge is separated from said frog point by a wheel flangeway and a wheel rim engaging portion arranged in a higher horizontal plane than said wheel tread portion.

2. A flange frog, comprising a frog point, and guard members arranged at opposite sides of said frog point and each provided with a wheel tread portion that is separated from said point by a wheel flangeway and a. wheel rim engaging portion integrally connected to said wheel tread portion.

3. VA flange frog, comprising afrog point, members arranged at opposite sides of said point and each provided with a wheel rim engaging portion and also a wheel tread portion that is separated from the point by a wheel flangeway, and means for enabling the wheel tread portions and the wheel rim engaging portions to be adjusted relatively to the point of the frog to compensate Jfor wear.

l.. A flange frog, comprising a frog point, and guard members adapted to be adjusted laterally towards and away from said point, each of said guard members having a wheel tread portion whose inner edge is spaced away from one side of said lpoint and a wheel rim engaging portion arranged in a higher horizontal plane than .said wheel tread portion.

5. A flange frog provided with adjustable wheel rim engaging portionsfandan adjustable wheel fiangeway.-

6. A flange frog, comprising a frog point,

vand laterally-adjustableV members arranged center member' and each provided with a f wheel rim engaging portion -and a wheel tread portion, and removable spacing devices interposed between said center member and said guard members, for the purpose described. v

8. A flange frog, comprising a cast center member provided with a frog point, cast metal guard members arrangedat lopposite sides of said center member and each provided with a wheel tread portion and a wheel rim engaging portion, the wheel tread portions of said guard members being spaced away from said point so as to form wheel flange` ways, and means for connecting said members together.

9. A flange frog, comprising a cast center member provided with a frog point, cast metal guard members arranged at opposite sides of said center member and each provided with a wheel tread portion Whose inner edge is separated from said point by a wheel flangeway and whose outer edge merges into a wheel rim engaging portion, means for connecting said members together, and means whereby said guard members can be adjusted laterally towards and away from said center member.

l0.. A flange frog, comprising a center cast member provided on its top side with a frog point, cast metal guard members arranged in overlapping relation with said center member and each provided with a wheel tread portion whose inner edge is separated from said point by a wheel flangeway and whose outer edge merges into a wheel rim engaging clampingl said members together. f

Al1. A flange frog, comprising a center cast member provided with a frog point, cast metal guard members arranged at 0pposite sides of said center member and each provided 'with a wheel tread portion and a, wheel rim engaging portion, the inner edges of the wheel tread portions of said guard members being spaced away from said frog point so as to form wheel flangeways, integral tie engaging portions on said guard members, and means for clamping said center member and guard members together.

125A flange frog, comprising4 a center cast member provided on its Vtop side with a frog point, cast metal guard members arranged at opposite sides of said center memsusY portion, and means for 

